Wedded Blade
by kittymills
Summary: Shiro doesn't want to hide how he feels about Keith anymore, and frankly, the rest of the team is 100% done with pretending they don't know that Shiro and Keith are In Love. When Shiro finally proposes to Keith, they're all beyond thrilled and want to celebrate... After all the space battles and drama, who wouldn't love a good wedding?
1. Chapter 1

_This too shall pass._

It's a mantra that Shiro holds close to his heart.

This goes for the dark times, and even the good. Because you never know how quickly life can change - how quickly all the things you took for granted yesterday can be gone tomorrow.

If you're lucky, you can grab onto the good and hold it tight. Savour it and treasure it every day.

If you're unlucky… then it's gone on the wings of cosmic dust and you'll never get it back again.

Shiro has been awake for almost twenty four hours straight; his body is still vibrating from the aftermath of the battle and frantic escape from Naxzela. There's a weird throb at the back of his head that the soft pale glow from the galaxy map behind him amplifies until needles of discomfort nip at him, slicing behind his eyes and tingling his fingers.

He leans heavily over the ship's control console and his arms tremble. He's drained, his heart hurts and his emotions are on overdrive trying to absorb the hurried report on the final stages of the battle and the rebels from Matt. What Matt tells him leaves him cold but even in this hyperaware state, Shiro realises now isn't the best time to confront Keith.

But god, he almost lost him.

Shiro feels like leaning over the side of the panel and vomiting. Except he can't remember the last time he ate anything substantial (no, the castle food goo doesn't count). The image of Matt's face that hovers on the wide holo screen above him is apologetic and slightly uncomfortable. He's sitting in the pilot's seat of a shuttle, rushing through space to reach the castleship. He wants to see with his own two eyes that his little sister is okay.

Shiro just wants his body to stop shaking and the bile to go back down.

"I… I didn't realise," Shiro says. Matt's lips turn down.

"We were desperate. He was desperate. If Lotor hadn't shown up-"

No. No, Shiro can't bear the thought.

"Thank you for telling me," Shiro finally manages to grind out. He squeezes his eyes shut against the images that replay in his mind on an insistent loop – a lone Galra fighter hurtling for the barrier, Keith clad in his Blade suit inside it and his hands gripping the controls as death opens its arms towards him.

It could have been a battle that destroyed Shiro's entire world even if they had won and vanquished the Galra Empire forever. He wonders weakly if there is another reality where Lotor was too late. Maybe there is another Shiro somewhere mourning, falling apart, cursing himself for all the things he never had the strength to give voice to because he didn't realise the lengths that Keith would go to ensure Voltron was victorious.

Shiro the hero, indeed. In this, he is a coward. He chokes on something that feels horribly like a sob but Matt's voice brings him back.

"Shiro? Shiro? Sir?"

Somehow that draws him out of the fog. He blinks and straightens himself up and then there's a slight twist of his lips. The adrenaline leaks out, and now he's just tired. So tired he feels like he's lived a hundred lifetimes. The kind of tired not even a week of sleep could fix.

"Haven't I told you not to call me that anymore," Shiro manages to say, forcing fake lightness into his voice. He's no stranger to it, this exhaustion. It takes him a few ticks but he shoves it down hard. He's not convinced Matt buys it, but then they're all a little ragged at the edges and willing to let things slide.

Shiro eventually ends the call and stumbles back, closing his eyes and sucking in a deep breath. Around the bridge, the screens are filled with the pinpoints of stars. He fills his lungs then releases it slowly, concentrating on his breathing in an attempt to collect himself. He does his best to ignore the throb in his temples as he tries to think of the next step.

Where can they go to now… can Lotor possibly be an ally? Or does he just want Voltron to himself?

Is Keith going to tell him how close he came to destroying everything?

Shiro rubs his forehead and gathers himself. Then he climbs to his feet and goes off to find the others.

He finds them in the rec area, each of them slumped heavily in various poses on the curved couch.

Hunk is snoring gently, Lance's head lolling on his shoulder on one side and Pidge pressed into his side on the other. Pidge looks exhausted, her glasses momentarily discarded and her eyes dark and flat. It makes something twist inside him. Even Lance, who shifts and sits up when Hunk sucks in a particularly loud snore and comes half awake, turning tired eyes towards Shiro then flopping his head onto his pulled up knees as he rolls sideways to give Hunk more space.

On the other side of the room, Allura is slumped in her seat, her head in her hands as Coran pats her shoulder tiredly.

They all look so fatigued and the weariness strips all the masks away. They're young, too young to be shouldering this kind of responsibility. The weight of the fucking universe on their shoulders.

Pidge should be studying, Lance terrorising girls with his bad pick-up lines and making them laugh, Hunk exploring cuisines from all over the planet in the orbit of his loving family. Allura and Coran shouldn't be the only Altean's left in the galaxy.

And Keith, the hood of his Marmora battle suit brushing his dark hair as it lays against his shoulders. He looks up and meets Shiro's eyes and Shiro needs to draw in a breath at what he sees there.

He remembers the call with Matt. What Keith had tried to do.

And abruptly- he's angry. Something frays inside him, something he's been desperate to keep together since the day the shuttle launched from Earth finally goes taut and snaps. He's had enough. He's had enough of trying to contain the one thing that's keeping him alive.

His emotions must have shown on his face because Keith suddenly materialises beside him. Keith's dark brows are furrowed and his voice is low and rough. "Shiro?"

Shiro sucks in a deep breath and turns to face him. Keith stares up at him with those dark indigo eyes. Shiro can see how worn-out he is. There are dark rings under his eyes to rival the others. They're all exhausted and they're all hurting.

It could have been worse, Shiro thinks as he drinks him in. Keith could be nothing but stardust right now.

Shiro battles the urge to vomit once again.

"Keith," his voice cracks as he tries to speak and then Keith shifts to stand in front of him. His lean frame is positioned as though he can block Shiro from the view of the rest of the group. It's a chance for Shiro to pull himself together before he faces the rest of the team, so they don't see how broken he is, how much he feels that he's failed them. Keith shifts closer. Shiro is pathetically grateful and then his heart cracks. He's so tired. So tired of trying to fight it.

Without any conscious thought, he finds himself reaching for Keith, curling around him and drawing the smaller man to his chest. It's not a chaste hug, it's Shiro clinging to Keith and turning his face into Keith's dark hair to muffle a rough inhalation of breath that he refuses to believe is a sob.

At first, Keith is stiff, taken by surprise. It's barely a heartbeat before he melts and folds himself around Shiro's body. Keith runs his hands up the back of Shiro's vest soothingly and murmurs something Shiro can't quite make out. Shiro gips him a little bit tighter and the pain in his temples flares briefly. There's a war of sensations rolling over his shoulders, his head. He almost staggers but Keith is holding him rigid.

He's not aware of how much time passes. His eyes drift close and Allura's voice eventually comes to him like something out of a fog. He can hear the words but he can't make sense of them and for a few beats, he actually starts to wonder if his translator is malfunctioning. Keith shifts to shoulder some of his weight and he remembers he's almost twice Keith's size so he summons up the last vestiges of strength to straighten himself up. The fog clears and Allura's voice becomes clear.

"-exhausted to make any sense. We should rest."

Shiro knows she's right. Honestly, he should have sent them all off to rest the moment they reconnected with Coran and the castleship but his mind had already jumped too many steps ahead, already thinking about what the recent events would mean for the team, for the coalition. The losses they suffered to achieve what they had.

He draws in a breath and steels himself, drawing on the energy that Keith seems to be lending him, his arm heavy and slightly possessive around Shiro's waist. Shiro can feel Keith's eyes trained on him but he doesn't dare meet Keith's gaze. If he does, he might just fall apart. He's not ready to fall apart yet. Not here. Not in front of the other paladins.

There's a light rumble at the back of his mind and it takes him a moment to recognise it as Black. It's muted, a little staticky (as it has been since she accepted him back) but he takes it as encouragement.

He steps back from Keith, sucks in a deep breath and pulls his leadership mantle back on.

Even though all he really wants to do is fall apart.


	2. Chapter 2

Coran and Allura pushed them all to rest and Keith can see how exhausted they all are. He's tired too, his own nerves frayed with his close call with death but there is something more than exhaustion at play with Shiro. It makes him unsettled and nervous – reluctant to leave Shiro's side.

They all shuffle along silently together along the ship's corridors, each of them peeling off to go to their own separate rooms until it's just Shiro and Keith lingering at the end. They stand outside of Shiro's doorway and it opens. Shiro lumbers inside, going straight to the bed and sinking down onto the mattress, his wrists braced on his knees and his head hanging low enough that the white shock of his hair obscures his face. He hasn't met Keith's eye since he pulled Keith into a hug and brushed his lips over his hair earlier and Keith isn't sure what to make of that. He tries to find the meaning behind it, but its elusive and scatters away.

Or maybe he just doesn't want to see it for what it was.

He hesitates by the door, unsure whether to say or go.

Black won't let him leave, just the thought of turning to go to his own room abruptly has something like an oppressive weight pushing down on him. He hears it in his head, Black's rumble and he knows it's her way of pushing them together.

"Shiro," he says finally, stepping into the room and letting the door shut and seal behind him. Shiro doesn't look up but there's a distinct wave of something that feels like approval that washes over him before flitting away and he's alone in his own mind again.

Shiro doesn't answer but Keith treads over to him and sits down beside him on the bed. The mattress dips lightly and Shiro shifts to accommodate him. Keith can feel tension radiating off Shiro in waves. He's barely holding himself together. His eyes are even now squeezed shut, his jaw tight and Keith reaches for his hand.

Shiro's Galra hand.

Keith lays it palm up and runs his fingertips over the foreign tech. Shiro shudders.

"Shiro," he says it softly, as though worried someone else might overhear even when it's just the two of them in this room. But they are completely alone. Even Black has backed off her connection.

Shiro moves and then Keith is suddenly crushed against Shiro's chest. He can feel Shiro's heart racing under his cheek, the tremble in his arms as they wrap around him like steel bands. Shiro turns his face into his hair again.

There's a part of Keith that searches aimlessly in his mind for the right words to say, for some kind of inspiring phrase or pearl of wisdom that would ease whatever it is that's eating Shiro up inside right now but he comes up with nothing.

Then, without any warning, Shiro pulls back but Keith refuses to let him go. He reaches up and takes Shiro's chin, forcing him to look back at him when he tries to face away. There's a dullness to Shiro's eyes that makes Keith's heart race anxiously. Shiro is so close to the edge, and for the first time in a long time, Keith feels a very real fear.

What if he can't pull him back?

What if Shiro doesn't _want_ to be pulled back? Keith knows that self-destructive desire all too well. Absently, he rubs his thumb over Shiro's cheek and Shiro's lids droop. A little bit of the tension slides out of him.

Keith stares at Shiro's lips, the shape of them burned into his psyche. He remembers what they were like to kiss, the taste of them, the way they felt as they explored his body. It's been so long he doesn't think they could never pick up where they left off. Too much has changed, but not how much he cares. Without really thinking, he leans forward, brushing his lips against Shiro. It's tentative at first and before Keith has the chance to pull back, to have his cheeks flame in embarrassment, Shiro is kissing him back hard, a hand tangled in Keith's hair.

Keith's heart swells in his chest and his axis that had always been a little off kilter since the report of the Kerberos mission failure, finally righted and settled.

Shiro's eyes open and this time, they are clear.

The rest of the team is seated around the table, picking half-heartedly at the meal in front of them. Shiro takes his plate and slides into the empty seat at the head of the table beside Pidge. They all greet him quietly, but warmly and his jaw is tight with tension. Keith takes his seat, down the other end of the table and Shiro finds himself irrationally irritated that they have to take such strides to assume a casualness between them – like they hadn't just spent the last few hours entwined around each other.

Like they hadn't made love to each other mere hours ago like it was the first and last time.

He grips the fork in his hand and stares down at his plate. It's not until he hears Pidge say his name worriedly that he looks up. They're all staring at him… or more importantly, at his hand, now glowing purple and warping the shape of the fork. He drops it in surprise and it clatters to the table, mangled and unusable. Shiro can barely lift his face.

"Shiro," Allura says softly, her eyes kind. The space mice are perched on her shoulders. "Perhaps you need more rest?"

"Yeah, that… that was pretty intense, man," Lance says. He looks troubled and he glances from one end of the table to the other. "Did you guys have a fight?"

"Lance!" Pidge hisses.

"What?" Lance demands. "Like we don't all know-"

"Shut up, Lance!" There's a thunk and the plates on the table rattle as Pidge stomps on Lance's foot. She's looks at Keith apologetically but he's scowling, staring at Lance so hard Shiro half expects him to launch himself down the table at the younger paladin and throttle him.

Then again, that's pretty much par for the course with those two. Shiro opts not to play favourites and hurries to answer.

"Just... just still tired I guess. How long was it, anyway?"

"A couple of vargas," Hunk answers. He stabs at something purple on his plate, propping his chin in one hand. "Not long enough," he mutters as he chews.

Shiro pushes his plate away, his appetite gone. Keith is still avoiding his eye.

Its hours later and Shiro is having a difficult time concentrating on the task at hand.

They need to meet with Lotor (they can hardly turn him away, allies scarce as they are – notwithstanding the fact he saved Keith's life) but no one trusts the Galra prince as far as they can throw him. They argue back and forth trying to come up with a contingency plan, or even a trap – something, _anything_ to get them a leg up on the prince.

But Shiro's mind keeps wandering.

Back to Zarkon, back to the arena, back to how it felt to have the man he loved back in his arms and how damn close he came to losing it.

Keith lost him not once but twice, and each time, Shiro had been too gutless to sit Keith down and tell him just how much he means to him. He tried to imagine their situations reversed, if it had been Keith in his place.

It hurt so much he would gladly take beating after beating in Zarkon's arena without hesitation.

"There's something I need to say," Shiro hears himself suddenly announce. The team turn to him curiously and he falters. Then he's speaking again before the idea has even taken form.

"We had a great victory today at a great cost. We lost a lot of good allies, and we almost lost one of our own-" he looks pointedly at Keith and he sees the way his shoulders stiffen. "But I'm tired of the Empire and Zarkon ruling our lives," he continues.

Shiro's gaze travels over each of their faces where they are scattered around the castle ship's circular couch. They're all gazing at him expectantly now. Well, all of them except for Keith.

He makes his way to Keith and drops to his knees. Keith startles and gives him a strange look. "Shiro, what are you doing?"

There's a little squeak from Allura's space mice and Shiro is aware of Allura's lips turning upwards in a secret smile. Beside her, Pidge and Lance share a glance, both biting their tongues with the knowledge that Something Important is about to happen. Coran and Hunk even wait expectantly, Hunk watching on intently even as he slurps loudly on a space juice popper.

Shiro's heart is hammering in his chest as he reaches for Keith's hand. Something that he suspects is Black's familiar static buzzes at the back of his mind.

"Keith," he says as he takes Keith's hand in his own. "Being boyfriends didn't work for us. It didn't stick, but I need you to know that it is you that's given me the strength to keep fighting. The thought of you kept me warm when I went to space, it kept me alive when I was taken by the Galra-"

Keith's eyes go wide. "Shiro…"

But Shiro plods on. "I don't want to hide it any more. I don't want to pretend that I haven't loved you with every fibre of my being since the moment I saw you face down in the dirt at the garrison. We're fighting for the universe, but we're also fighting for us." Shiro pauses then draws in a deep breath. "So, what I'm asking is… Keith, will you marry me?"

The room is so quiet and still. It lasts all of three seconds before Allura clasps her hands to her chest and squeals.

"A wedding!" Her eyes are shining and beside her, Coran grins and twists his moustache in contemplation, one hand held behind his back.

"I'm quite good at planning weddings," he says as he rocks back on his heels. "We had a lot here at the castle back in King Alfor's day-"

"Easy, Coran," Shiro cuts him off ruefully. Shiro's eyes flick towards Keith and then down at Keith's palm, pale skin against the harsh tech of his Galra hand. For the briefest moment, he feels a little unsure. "He hasn't said yes yet."

"Oh, yes… right you are. Well, ah, carry on then."

Shiro lifts his eyes to Keith. His eyes are wide and his mouth hangs open.

"Uh oh," Hunk leans over to Pidge. "Shiro broke him."

"Shhh!" Pidge hisses, leaning forward in anticipation of Keith's response. Lance finally scoffs a heartbeat later, waving his hand about in dismissal.

"Of course, he's going to say yes. No brainer."

Hunk opens his mouth to respond but they dissolve into bickering. All the while, Shiro's eyes don't leave Keith's face and his grip on Keith's hand never falters.

"I've been ready to die so many times, but now I have to live," Keith finally says.

Shiro cocks his head. His heart is beating so loud, he's sure the entire room can hear it. "So, is that a yes?"

Keith stares him down and Shiro starts to sweat. Has he misjudged this? Really? Keith was ready to throw himself into the barrier to save them, to save Voltron, but maybe that didn't mean what Shiro thought it did. Maybe all those lingering touches and whispered confessions in the dark meant something else - He's about to open his mouth to salvage his pride when Keith finally speaks.

"I'm all in," he says and his voice cracks slightly with emotion. Shiro thinks he might die from the relief.

"HA! I won!" Lance shouts, pumping a fist into the air then freezes. "Wait, was that a yes? That was a yes, right?" Lance glares at Keith.

"Yes," Keith says firmly and then Shiro is choking out a harsh bark of relief and pulling him close. There's exclamations of joy and excited chatter all around them. Glancing over Shiro's shoulder, Keith sees Lance do some kind of victory dance that involves a lot of flailing arms and jerky step movements. It's ridiculous, Lance is ridiculous but they're all smiling and laughing and Shiro feels lighter than he has in years.

"Told you!" Lance chortles. "Pay up Hunkie boy."

"Aw, man," Hunk mutters, but he's smiling.

Shiro ignores them all, wrapping his arms around Keith and smiling against Keith's hair. "Thank god," he murmurs low that only Keith can hear him. His heart is still racing. "You had me worried there."

Keith makes a sound that seems suspiciously like a snort. "As if there was any doubt."

Shiro hugs him tighter… and he feels his heart start to heal.


	3. Chapter 3

The distraction of planning a wedding turns out to be an excellent morale booster. For a tiny slice in time, they stop thinking about the battles, the fight with Zarkon, the nervous peace with Lotor and the Empire still lurking on the other side of space.

It's a few hours later and they're seated around the table on Hunk's insistence for a celebratory dinner. Keith thinks it's really just an excuse for Hunk to show off his absurdly good skills in the kitchen but it seems to make everyone really happy so he just goes with it. It's almost a little jarring to see this team of people smiling and joking so much. After the last few months (or was it years? Hard to keep track the way they wormhole around so much in space), they had done what they could to hold onto their humour, but it was always a touch strained , the laughter a little forced, the jokes too ridiculous.

But tonight is different and Keith can't help his buoyed mood as the wedding planning goes into overdrive - even if he is feeling vaguely panicked at the thought of the fuss being made about them. Coran even made noises about a galaxy wide broadcast but Shiro was quick to nip that in the bud.

Thank god.

Shiro's hand finds his and squeezes it under the table. He leans his head close and Shiro's lips curve apologetically. His voice is low and a little husky and it sends a tendril of warmth right down to Keith's toes. "I guess misjudged how excited everyone would be by this. I hope you're okay with all this attention."

Keith squeezes back, tracing Shiro's mouth with his eyes and thinking about how well they fit against his own. His heart thumps blissfully in his chest. The sensation is almost foreign to him it's been so long since he's felt it.

"It's okay," he responds. "I guess we're all due for a bit of R & R."

Shiro smiles softly and they turn back to the conversation around the table. Keith is content to let it flow around them. Shiro's thumb absently rubs the back of his hand as they listen to the plan unfolding. It feels a little strange to him, the way that the entire team has closed ranks around Shiro and himself, sharing in their promise to each other. For so long it was just Keith, then there was Shiro but now there is so much more. It makes him almost antsy, not sure if he should embrace it and open himself up, or pushing it away so he doesn't know what he might one day lose and can't mourn.

But then they all look at Keith with such love and affection that he feels himself glowing with an inner warmth. Was this what it was like to be part of a family? To be so accepted? He looks up at Shiro, watching as Shiro smiles and chuckles at Lance and Coran arguing over the best location for a honeymoon before Coran finally pauses and rubs his chin thoughtfully. "What IS a honeymoon anyway?" The others all groan and Allura is smiling so wide it's literally lighting up the room.

And Keith can feel it. He can feel it so deep inside of him he realises he never wants to let this go. Shiro, this little family they've fallen into together. Voltron. The lions… The glow suddenly amplifies and everyone pauses in surprise and looks at each other. It swirls around them, over them, _through_ them then bobs away, a faint echo of purring in their ears. Even Coran's eyes are wide like saucers.

"Did you feel that?" he says in wonder. The space mice scamper across the table and straight to Allura's shoulder with happy little chirps. "I felt that. Did you feel that?"

They all nod and Hunk sniffs and dramatically wipes a tear from his eye. "Even the lions are ready for a party."

There's laughter around the table and the room is warm. They're all smiling, and Keith's eyes suddenly prick behind his lids. He has to suck in a deep breath and turn his face away before he embarrasses himself completely - it's nearly too much. The bubble of emotion inside him wants to erupt and he almost feels like he's drowning. He doesn't know how to process it. It feels all like a dream and there's a heartbeat where he actually wonders if maybe he made it to the barrier and this is just his own private version of heaven. Which it is.

He finally grips Shiro's hand tight enough that Shiro glances down at him, his gaze softening as he pulls Keith hard against him. Keith buries his face in Shiro's shoulder and his breath hitches. A few moments pass where he tries to gather himself then he feels a tap on his shoulder. Keith eventually looks up and Pidge is sitting in the chair beside him, leaning in with her trademark grin. Her big amber eyes are sparkling.

"Guess you're not the loner anymore, huh?"

Keith tries to answer but his voice is too thick, his eyes too blurry even as he tries to blink the moisture away. He's spared having to keep trying by Pidge throwing herself against him. She hugs him and Shiro together and it tells him more than anything else could ever say.

It's been a few hours since dinner and aside from Keith and Shiro (who have disappeared off somewhere Pidge really doesn't want to think too hard about) everyone is a little bit too hyped up to sleep. The chance to focus on something other than their epic battle for the universe is too good to resist and now that they settle on a date of in two quintants time, there is so much to do in not much time.

The space mice scurry over Pidge, all vying for the best position for pats and sneaky treats as Pidge perches on the edge of Allura's bed. Pidge tries not to notice how the sheets feel smoother and the mattress feels softer (Allura IS a princess after all) or how Allura's is the only room that seems to have carpet. Pidge is probably a bit jealous about that the most of all. She's always fumbling for her green lion slippers in the dark and losing them. Her feet on the cold metal floors of her quarters in the middle of the night is _the worst_.

She scratches the biggest space mouse under the chin as she watches Allura rummage around in her wardrobe. She's still tired from the battle at Naxzela but sleep just isn't something that she's interested in right now. It's not so inviting when every time she closes her eyes she can see explosions and feel the heavy g forces pushing on her chest. Besides, she wants to be awake when her brother arrives, which thanks to a damaged shuttle, means he's still limping his way through space to them.

She slips another treat to the mice as Allura's door slides open and Coran slides dramatically across the room. His eyes are luminous with excitement.

"Can't you just see it?" he announces brightly. He spreads his hands and looks up to what Pidge assumes is supposed to be the heavens. "It will be a love story for the ages! The public will lap it up!"

Allura frowns. "Coran, I'm not sure that I'm comfortable with using Shiro and Keith's wedding as a political event. This is about them, about their love for each other against all odds."

"Yes, but princess, but it's also another potential way to strengthen the collation and celebrate us moving forward. Back in your fathers day, we always celebrated weddings with our allies. I'm sure Shiro will be happy to do anything that will strengthen our alliances-"

"It's not Shiro I am concerned about," Allura says dryly. Pidge watches as Allura frowns at the dress in her hands and shoves it to the side before pulling out another one. The slight cloud of dust that puffs up makes the princess sneeze delicately. She wrinkles her nose before she continues. "Keith might have an entirely different opinion on the matter."

"Well, I suppose it can't hurt to ask!" Coran twirls once then bows out of the room with a flourish. He's come and gone in an instant and Pidge hopes there's not going to be another repeat of what happened when Coran tried to let some space worm control his brain.

Pidge sneaks the space mice another treat and Allura turns to her with one hand propped on her hip and an eyebrow raised.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing."

"Ah…." Pidge has the grace to look slightly guilty before she slips the treats back into her pocket and sighs. The space mice realise no more treats are forthcoming and abandon the green paladin to hurry along the bed and settle themselves into one of Allura's lush pillows. Pidge sags a little.

"Are you all right, Pidge?" Allura asks kindly. "You seem… sad?"

"I'm okay… well, sort of. I mean. Argh, it's so stupid!" Pidge flops back onto Allura's bed dramatically and covers her eyes with her arms.

Allura shoves the dress she was holding back into a draw and approaches Pidge. She sits primly on the bed beside her.

"Why don't you tell me what's bothering you."

There's a pause, then Pidge sits up. "Well," she says. "It's just that… back home, weddings are a time to… you know, get dressed up. Only I didn't bring any dresses with me. I only have these," she gestures to her current clothes, "-and my paladin armour. I suppose I could just wear my paladin armour and that would be fine too because hey, remember the last time we hard a party on the ship? Lance almost died? So form and function and all that would be smart but… It would just be nice to have an option, that's all."

Allura taps her chin. "Hmm, I see. Well, I do have plenty of dresses here in the castle. Granted they are 10, 000 years out of date but I'm sure we can find you something if that's what you want."

Pidge eyes Allura sceptically. "I can't wear your clothes, I'd drown in them!"

"No, silly, we'll alter them. Didn't Coran tell you about his days as an intergalactic fashion pirate? I remember as a child he had a bogwaggle cape that used to sing whenever he came into a room. It was simply delightful!" She pauses for a moment. "Although, now that I think about it, I'm not sure my father thought so."

Pidge looks sideways at Allura. "Yeah, he told me about that. It.. um… Doesn't inspire a lot of confidence."

Allura laughs lightly. "Well, how about we try and if you don't like it, you can always wear your paladin armour?"

Pidge chews her lip in indecision then shrugs. "Sure. Why not?"

There's usually only two places Shiro is guaranteed to find Keith and he heads to the first now that he's finally able to move again after the absolute feast Hunk presented them with. He can already hear the clashing on the other side of the door and Keith's grunts as he trains. He's panting heavily, his bayard in one hand and his Marmora blade in the other as Shiro opens the door. The gladiator powers down.

"Hey," Shiro greets him as he steps through. "Thought I would find you here."

Keith straightens then shakes out his damp hair. He's sweaty from the sparring, his dark shirt damp and plastered to his lean muscles and Shiro finds himself eyeing him appreciatively. It's impressive the way Keith is able to regain his breath so quickly then deactivates his bayard to trot past the still mech and straight to Shiro's side.

"Needed to get away for a bit," he shrugs apologetically.

"And hit things?" Shiro questions, one eyebrow raised.

"Would you prefer me to hit Lance instead?"

Shiro can't help but laugh at that. Keith grins at him then leans up to give Shiro a quick peck to the lips.

God, he loves that. That casual, comfortable show of affection from Keith. No more hiding, no more pretences. It smooths over the cracks in his heart and fills them with something warm instead of the ache that has been there for so long. He closes his eyes and reaches out in anticipation of deepening the kiss but Keith has already pulled away. Shiro is tempted to grab him haul him back but he knows there's time enough for that later.

"It's all happening pretty quickly," Shiro says instead. He watches Keith as he collects his jacket from the floor then comes back to Shiro's orbit from under hooded brows. "Are… are you okay with that?"

Keith looks genuinely confused. "Are you asking me if we're moving too fast? Me? The hothead?" Keith scratches his head and Shiro finds himself chuckling.

"Okay, point taken."

"I'm not holding back anymore," Keith says quietly then, his tone turning serious. He stands in front of Shiro with his head bowed. "We've lost enough time. I don't know what's going to happen in the future but this… now… you and me –"

Keith's voice cracks with emotion. It seems to be doing that a lot lately. Shiro grasps his hand and twines their fingers together but Keith slips out of his reach again.

"Hey, where are you going?" Shiro complains.

"Shower," Keith smirks at him from over his shoulder, the invitation clear in his eyes. "Coming?"

Shiro doesn't need to be told twice.


	4. Chapter 4

It's the ache in his head that wakes Shiro. He blinks and it takes a moment for his vision to clear, a few heartbeats to bring the room into focus.

Beside him, Keith's dark mop of hair is spread over his pillow like a thundercloud, the sheets low on his hips as he slumbers on his side with his hands tucked under one cheek. Shiro can see the angry scar from the trials of Marmora on his shoulder, healing well but still standing out in dark relief against his pale skin. Shiro's about to roll over and slide a hand over Keith's bare stomach when there's a quiet two-toned beep and the light on the panel by the door blinks orange.

He glances once more at Keith's sleeping form before slipping regretfully from the bed. He pulls on his clothes and pads over to the door.

On the other side, Matt is waiting with bright eyes and a wide smile.

"Hey man, Katie just told me – congratulations!"

Shiro takes Matt's outstretched hand and they shake.

"Thank you," he says. "It's something I should have done a long time ago."

Matt's smile slips and something like sorrow comes into his eyes. "Come on, Shiro. You did what you thought was best at the time. You couldn't expect things to unfold like they have. Not one of us could have predicted we would get taken by a hostile race of big purple furry aliens when we lifted off from Earth."

"No, I suppose not," Shiro says, folding his arms and leaning against the now closed door. "When did you get in?"

Matt shrugs. "A few vargas ago. Would have made Pidge come get us in the green lion if I knew there was a party to plan."

Shiro laughs at that. "It will be good to have you there. Allura said she's trying to reach a few others too. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea considering the losses we've had to endure to achieve what we did but-" he trails off. His head starts to throb again and his thoughts seem a little fuzzy. He figures he just needs some of that Altean equivalent of coffee to kick start things.

"You okay, Shiro?" Matt asks after a slight pause.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just woke up. Come on, lets go see what's happening on the bridge."

It's seriously impressive how quickly the team manages to pull what they need together for an Earth style wedding. Shiro gave Allura as much information as he could, trying to remember back to a Shinto wedding he attended as a child with his Grandpa. He must have been only five or six or so at the time and it was one of his much older cousins. He vividly remembered thinking how serene she looked in her white and red kimono as she looked up at the face of her new husband. Even as a small child, Shiro had seen what love was, and he had hoped he would have it for himself one day.

And now he did.

He smiles to himself at the thought, just the knowledge that there was no more hiding or holding back enough to change everything. He steadfastly refuses to let his mind wander too far into the future. There would be time enough for that later. Now is all that matters.

They're standing on the bridge when Allura broaches the subject of Keith and any special family traditions he might choose to incorporate but Keith just shrugs. He has none, at least not from his human side.

"Perhaps there's a Galra tradition worth including?" Allura manages to say. Her voice is a little strangled and Shiro can see the effort it takes her to say it.

Keith thinks about it for a moment but then shakes his head. "No," he says. "I don't need that. I just want to do whatever Shiro wants to do."

Allura tries to hide her relief… and fails but they all pretend they don't notice. There's more discussions, more ideas thrown backwards and forth. Matt is hovering over Pidge's shoulder talking to some of the other rebel leaders and Hunk is talking to himself and making notes, mumbling as he taps his chin and flicks through holos before suddenly jumping up and grabbing Coran, herding him out the door with a wave at the others.

Shiro isn't sure what to make of that but he's long since realised that he and Keith are merely passengers on this particular ride, and he's okay with that. It actually feels good to let go.

"So, I'm going to talk to Lance," Keith says after a moment. Shiro glances down at him in surprise. The blue glow from the bridge lights reflect on his dark hair and in his eyes. Shiro thinks he's beautiful.

"Everything okay?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah… I just- Something I gotta do. Wish me luck, okay."

Shiro looks amused then. "Ah, good luck?"

Keith disappears with a grin over his shoulder.

It's not long after and Keith is standing outside of Lance's door, his hand raised to knock even as he sends a prayer up to the heavens that what he's about to do isn't going to come back to bite him on the ass later.

He sucks in a deep breath and mutters some obscenity to himself just as he raps on the door with his knuckles.

There's a loud crash from the other side, a yelp and then the door slides open and Lance is blinking at him, eyes bleary and his clothes dishevelled. Keith narrows his gaze.

"What are you doing in there? No. No, wait on second thoughts I don't want to know."

Lance rubs his face, then his hair. It sticks out at odd angles despite its short length. "What do you want, Mullet? This better not be about Red, it wasn't my fault, I swear she jumped into that asteroid belt all by herself-"

"No, I'm not here about that, you can relax."

Lance pauses then manages to pull himself up a bit taller. He takes a step back and ushers Keith inside. His room is a mess but somehow that doesn't surprise Keith in the least. He glances around quickly, wondering if there is a spare surface to sit but quickly dismisses the idea when he sees none. He decides to do this quickly.

A bit like ripping off a band aid.

He watches as Lance shuffles over to his bed, his fuzzy blue lion slippers making a scraping noise along the floor. He doesn't sit though, he just turns around to face Keith, one eyebrow lifted expectantly. Keith clears his throat.

"So, ah… I'm going to need a best man since… ah… since I'm getting married."

He feels like he's about to choke on his own tongue. It's the first time he's said it out loud and it almost makes him dizzy. Is this really happening? Is Shiro really going to marry him? He's not dreaming all this, is he?

 _Marriage._ Holy shit.

He somehow manages to resist the urge to panic. Not that he doesn't want to commit to Shiro, he's never wanted anything more. In fact, he's wanted it since the day Shiro first kissed him all those years ago, before Kerberos, before Voltron and the Galra. It's just that he would just rather… skip the formalities and settle straight into being one half of a whole.

But the team is too excited about making it an Event and even though Shiro hasn't said as much, Keith knows in his gut how much it would mean to Shiro too. He could be traditional like that in some ways.

He's not sure how many ticks pass before he realises Lance is staring at him.

"Yeah…?" Lance says expectantly, as though it's the most obvious thing in the world. Lance looks at Keith as though he's concerned Keith's had too many knocks to the head. His mind wanders back to the Voltron cheer then Keith makes an exasperated noise at the back of his throat. He reminds himself he needs Lance for this so he sucks in a deep breath.

 _Patience yields focus._

He rubs the back of his neck then sighs. He's resigned. There's no way he's going to come out of this moment with his pride intact. He struggles with the urge to squirm.

"So… do you want the job?"

Lance pauses for a heartbeat then his eyes narrow. Oh no, Keith doesn't like the look of that. Lance straightens up and in that instant, Keith knows Lance is going to make him work for this and he's tastes the bitter tang of regret on this tongue.

"I want to hear you say it," Lance announces. He folds his arms across his chest and lifts his chin. He's not being smug about it, just… determined. Keith groans.

"Lance-"

"Uh, nuh nuh nuh, you want the goods, you gotta pay the price."

Keith glares at him then. Really? They're really doing this? He grits his teeth. "Fine!" he snaps.

There's a few ticks of pregnant silence. Lance eventually taps his wrist with one finger. "Tick tock!"

Keith can't help the growl that comes with the words. "Will. You. Be. My. Best. Man?"

Lance looks at him and taps his chin. He makes Keith sweat. Actually has the nerve to make him wait for an answer and Keith is incensed. He can feel the blood staring to boil in his veins and a roaring in his ears as his temper flares. He's about to give up on the whole thing and storm out of the room when Lance finally speaks.

"Best man, you say?" he says, tapping his chin. "Well yes, since I _am_ the best man after all… Don't worry, buddy, I've got your back."

Keith can't help but feel mildly alarmed by that.

Somewhere in her hanger, Red purrs.


	5. Chapter 5

The call from Kolivan comes through on Keith's private communicator. It's unusual that Kolivan would bypass the bridge and go direct to Keith and his stomach drops at the thought of what it could mean. He manages to extricate himself from Lance and goes to his room to take it.

He flips it on and Kolivan's face fills the holoscreen.

"Keith, I must caution you against this."

There's no felicitations, no greeting, nothing of any kind to that effect. Instead, the Galra rebel fighter just stares down the lens, his jaw tight. Tighter than normal, if that were possible. Keith sucks in a deep breath.

"Caution against what exactly?" Keith stares defiantly back.

"It is one thing to gather all our allies and fighters in one place for a well-planned attack, quite another to do it for a mere bonding ceremony."

Bonding ceremony? Is that what the Galra call it? Keith frowns as Kolivan continues. "Half of the coalitions leaders could be wiped out in one fell swoop!"

"We've moved the castle into a secure quadrant. Zarkon won't know. And even if they did, there wouldn't be enough time to move their fleets into a position to mount an attack."

"Lotor is still out there. He may have aided us against Zarkon's witch but we can NOT trust him. And this bond…" Kolivan's eyes narrow further. "Do you plan to continue your work with the blade?"

"Of course, I do."

"Your bond will compromise you."

"It won't," Keith insists. "Shiro understands that. Whatever needs to be done-" his mind flashes back to the barrier attack, "-then it will be. This changes nothing."

Kolivan hisses. "It changes everything. A blade and a paladin of Voltron? _It can not happen!"_

"I'm not listening to this, you're not going to change my mind."

Keith cuts the connection before anymore can be said and sags back onto the bed. His heart is racing at the confrontation, a little in anger, a little in fear that Kolivan might well be right. He shudders and curls in on himself, tries to convince himself that his marriage to Shiro won't change anything.

But if the Blade won't accept him back, then were would he go? There aren't enough lions to go around and he even though he misses Red, he can't take her from Lance. And Black belongs with Shiro.

Maybe he could team up with Matt, join the rebels. Voltron and the castleship will always be the closest thing to a home, but he needs to be able to play his part too.

He's bitter. Can't they just have this? After everything they've given up, everything they've had to endure - Shiro especially – can't they have this one thing. It's childish to cry over – the universe certainly doesn't do them any favours but…

God, he wants this. He _wants_ to marry Shiro. And Keith never lets himself want anything.

In another part of the ship, Coran is standing in front of the row of paladin armour, tapping his foot and twisting his moustache in contemplation. He glances from the armour to the dark mass of material on the floor in front of him. One pile is blood red, the other the darkest hues of midnight.

One of the space mice squeak and he looks down at them where they hover around his feet. One of them jumps into a pile of what looks to be feathers and a small cloud rises up to colour the air.

"Yes," he says he says to himself. Or maybe to them. He's not quite sure. "Yes, that could work beautifully. Oh, Coran, I always knew our talents as an intergalactic fashion pirate would one day come into play. Today is that day!"


End file.
